Sen. Boxer: Group behind beheading must be stopped

U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer D-Calif., speaks during news conference in Los Angeles on Friday, Aug. 22, 2014. Boxer condemned the Islamic State as "perhaps the most dangerous terrorist group the world has ever known." The enate foreign relations committee member called for a worldwide coalition to oppose the group. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)
The Associated Press

U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer D-Calif., speaks during news conference in Los Angeles on Friday, Aug. 22, 2014. Boxer condemned the Islamic State as "perhaps the most dangerous terrorist group the world has ever known." The enate foreign relations committee member called for a worldwide coalition to oppose the group. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer D-Calif., speaks during news conference in Los Angeles on Friday, Aug. 22, 2014. Boxer condemned the Islamic State as "perhaps the most dangerous terrorist group the world has ever known." The Senate foreign relations committee member called for a worldwide coalition to oppose the group. (AP Photo/ Nick Ut)The Associated Press

U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer D-Calif., speaks during news conference in Los Angeles on Friday, Aug. 22, 2014. Boxer condemned the Islamic State as "perhaps the most dangerous terrorist group the world has ever known." The Senate foreign relations committee member called for a worldwide coalition to oppose the group. (AP Photo/ Nick Ut)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Days after an Islamic extremist group beheaded an American journalist, U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer condemned Friday the "brutal and barbaric murder" of James Foley and labeled the Islamic State a "worldwide threat" that must be stopped.

The California Democrat said in Los Angeles that the U.S. will continue to not pay ransoms to rescue citizens held by militant organizations — something which European governments have done to bring kidnapped nationals home.

The member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said countering the Islamic State requires a mix of intelligence, global cooperation and ground troops, but Boxer opposed sending American troops back to a region mired by what she called the "deeply flawed" invasion of Iraq.

Boxer backed away from specifics on what form, if any, military intervention in Syria would take, but she reaffirmed her support of President Obama's decision to authorize limited airstrikes in Iraq and military aid to Iraqi and Kurdish forces.

Combating the Islamic State required a cohesive "world strategy," Boxer said, adding that NATO and the United Nations must do more.

"No one, no one is safe in a world where ISIS is allowed to terrorize and grow unchecked," Boxer said.

In the wide-ranging meeting with news media, Boxer also spoke on key issues ranging from the protests in Ferguson, Missouri, to sexual assault on college and university campuses.

— In the wake of unrest in Ferguson following the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager, Boxer called on law enforcement and communities nationwide to establish "mutual respect." Accountability is necessary "whether it's a citizen or police officer who violates the law," Boxer said.

— Citing the historic drought that has parched California, Boxer endorsed the state's $7.5 billion water bond, a measure on the ballot this November that would fund long-term improvements to the state's water infrastructure.

— Boxer also called on California's public universities to install an independent, on-campus advocate that helps victims of sexual assault secure medical care, report assaults to law enforcement and gain awareness about their legal rights. Last month, Boxer and Rep. Susan Davis (D-San Diego) introduced the Survivor Outreach and Support Campus Act, or S.O.S. Campus Act, which would require such advocates at all colleges and universities that receive federal funding.